January 10, 2013
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A pacifist with a gun?
After the stuff that happened in CT in Dec, and with the fear of restrictions looming on gun ownership, my husband decided we should arm ourselves, and take classes to learn to shoot a gun, so that we could get CCW and and CPL permits (Carry Concealed Weapon and Carry Pistol License). I told him that I wouldn’t be comfortable carrying a gun unless I took shooting lessons and learned how to shoot. I’ve always been afraid if I was attacked, my attacker would get the gun away from me and use it on me, so I never even considered it before.I am also a pacifist. I’m not even sure in the face of protecting my life that I could shoot someone. I was talking to the guy at the gun store who recommended a ’38-special’ because I was inexperienced with guns and he gave me a scenario of someone breaking into my house when I was home alone – and said something about shooting to kill. I said “um…no. I’d probably shoot him in the leg or something to stop him from attacking, but could not shoot to kill.” He said, “You have to get over that. If you shoot to maim, you may end up dead. It’s your life or his. You have to learn to shoot to kill when someone is threatening your life.”
We ended up not buying a gun. I wonder, if my life was at stake, could I shoot to kill? I think I’m pretty sure if someone was trying to kill Roger, I could probably do it.
Here is the real kicker, though! I asked him how long it takes to buy a gun. He said it’s immediate. I asked about background checks and all that. He said they were no longer needed in Michigan. That is scarier than me owning a gun!
Comments (4)
I am a pacifist too. I refuse to own and shoot a gun but understand others needs to own and have them.
I know the laws are way to loose in some states.
That’s exactly how I feel. I don’t think I could use one on anyone even if I needed to. And that is scary about MI, especially since I’m so close in IN. I don’t know what the laws are here.
I think I feel the same as you. “Think” – as in, I don’t know how I would really react in a scary situation. I would have a hard time even shooting to injure to stop someone. It’s hard to say how I would react though if one of my kids or grandkids were in danger.
It’s pretty scary that anyone can just walk in and buy a gun in Michigan. There should be some controls on that.
@ItsSuze - @nevragn - Evidently there were laws on the books, but they had an expiration date (Dec. 2012) and the governor of this state vetoed renewing them. So restrictions in gun ownership went by the wayside. (At least, that is how I understand it from what little the guy at the gun shop could tell me.)